Nuclear power generation is ramping up around the world despite the Fukushima tragedy and Australia could have its first reactor within 10 to 15 years if there was sufficient political will, nuclear physicist and former Telstra boss
Ziggy Switkowski
said.

Dr Switkowski said with nuclear facilities being built in India, China and the Middle East, the global reactor tally would probably reach 1000 by mid-century.

If a bipartisan political position was reached in Australia soon, the nation could have its first substantial reactor in place in 10 to 15 years, Dr Switkowski said.

“Once you’ve got the first reactor approved and built you can build them quickly," he said. “As other countries like France have shown, you can move from zero reactors to 50 in a period of 20 years.

“So if there was the political will, the economics are not an issue, the technology is well within our ability to manage, and it is definitely a clean technology, we could by the middle of the century have a substantial amount of our electricity generated by nuclear power."

Resources Minister
Martin Ferguson
, who released Labor’s white paper on energy last week, acknowledged nuclear power generation would be the subject of debate in coming years.

But the focus now was on other clean technologies.

“If we don’t make a breakthrough on reducing our emissions in a huge way at the lowest possible cost for a variety of clean energy technologies – be it renewable, carbon capture and storage or whatever – then there will be serious debate in Australia in terms of nuclear power," he said.

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Mr Ferguson said nuclear power had never been cost-competitive in Australia. Nor was it today.

“We’ll see where we are at some point in the future," he said. “Community will have these debates, just like we have had a debate over the last 30 years about uranium mining. The world has changed on uranium mining."

Asked if Australia should be investing more in renewables than the more expensive and yet to be proven commercially viable carbon capture and storage technique, Mr Ferguson said it was the government’s responsibility to explore all options.

“My responsibility is to test every technology. It’s not about which technology comes through, but making sure some clean energy technology comes through, so that we have a base load reliable system at the lowest possible cost."